This invention relates to a cross car support structure for an automotive vehicle body.
Many automotive vehicle bodies have a frame with a pair of vertical pillars on the opposite sides of the vehicle body at the juncture of an engine compartment and a passenger compartment. The pillars are connected by a crossbeam structure at the cowl of the vehicle body forward of an instrument panel. The cross beam structure provides cross car stiffness, assist in managing side load impacts and supports the steering column and air bags. As well, the cross beam structure provides support for the dashboard, glove compartment and various instrument clusters. The cross beam structure must have sufficient strength to absorb loading applied to the steering column and forces associated with deployment of driver and/or passenger air bags.
Most automobiles have ducts associated with the dashboard and instrument panel for delivering air in connection with the heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Known cross car support structures include those taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,571 to Burry et al, issued Feb. 18, 1992 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,114 to Kelman et al, issued Oct. 11, 1994, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Previously known cross car support structures suffer the disadvantages that they are relatively heavy as when produced from plastic or metal plastic composites and when produced from metal, do not provide advantageous internal passageways for use as air passage ducts.
To at least partially overcome these disadvantages of previously known devices, the present invention provides a cross car structure member including a beam comprising a hollow metal tube extending across the vehicle between the vehicle pillars, preferably, with the interior of the tube being used as a HV/AC duct.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a lightweight cross car support structure.
Another object is to provide a cross car support structure with a tubular metal beam which extends between the vehicle pillars.
Another object is to provide a cross car support structure entirely of aluminum or aluminum alloys and preferably formed by extrusion.
Another object is to provide a cross car support structure including a beam which is an extruded tubular metal member of uniform cross-section extending between the vehicle pillars.
Accordingly, in one aspect the present invention provides an automotive vehicle having side pillars located on opposite sides of a vehicle body at a juncture between a passenger compartment and an engine compartment, improvement comprising a cross car structural member extending across the vehicle between the side pillars,
the structural member including a hollow tubular metal beam extending between the side pillars, the beam being of uniform cross-sectional shape throughout its length, preferably with:
the beam having side walls defining a passageway longitudinally of the beam,
opening through the side walls of the beam at spaced locations for entry and exit of heating, ventilating or air conditioning air to flow longitudinally of the beam and in or out of the openings.